Collapsible supporting device



0. o. ROBINSON v COLLAPSIBLE SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed March '10 1922 2Sheets-She et 1 Jan, 6. 19 25. 4 I I v v C. O. ROBINSON COLLAPSIBLESUPPORTING DEVICE 7 Filed March 10, 1922 2 sheg-t-shet 2 Patented Jan.6, 1 925.

( UNITED STATES 1,522,030 PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES Or ROBINSON, OF BISMARCK, NORTH. DAKOTA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT ANDMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO RO'BINSON-HALLUM MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OFMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A. CORPORATION OF MINNESOTAJ COLLAPSIBLESUPPORTING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLEs O. RoBIN- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Bismarck, in the county of Burleigh and State ofNorth Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in aCollapsible Supporting Device; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to a collapsible support adapted to serve as atable, chair, bassinet stand, or other similar supporting device. Insmall apartments and where closet room is scarce it is often desired tofold up a table or other supporting device-so that the same can beconveniently stored in a small space.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a supportingdevice having legs swingingly mounted and adapted to be quickly andeasily folded into position close to the supporting surface of themember and to be easily and quickly extended to operative position.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a very simple andefiicient means for simultaneously swinging the legs quicklyto operativeor inoperative position.

These'and other objects and advantages.

of the invention will be fully set forth in the following descriptionmade in connection with the accompanying drawings in which likereference characters refer to the same parts throughout the differentviews, I

and in which Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of the table or supportingdevice with the legs in ex tended position; c

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, as indicated bythe arrows;

Fig. 3 is a partial end view of the device;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the device in collapsed position; and

Fig. 5 is a side view as seen from the bottom of Fig. 4.

Referring" to the drawings, the device comprises a supporting member 1having a substantially fiat upper surface. While this member may be ofany shape, it is illustrated as having substantially rectan lar form.Adjacent each end of the mem er 1 Application fi led March 10, 1922.Serial No. 542,530,

on the undersurfaceof the same is pivoted a supporting member 2, thelower part of which is'cut away to form supporting legs. Atapproximatelythe transverse center of the members 2 and somewhatadjacent the upper end thereof are formed slots 3 and a pivot bar 4 hasits ends flattened and secured to the outer side of the members 2 sothat the central cylindrical portion there of extends across said slot.Plates 5 of semi-spherical shape are shown as attached to the outersides of members 2 and cover the slot 3 and member 4. These plates canbe made of ornamental design and can also carry the trade mark or tradename of the device. Pivoted to each of the members 4 is a link 6' havingits outer end passing through the slot 3 and downturned at substantiallya right angle, the extreme end being bent about the center of member 4.The

links 6 are shown as made of round rods and said links have their innerends flattened and pivotally secured at equal distances on each side ofthe. fulcrum of a lever lated gear or segment 8 and bothare rotatable ona screw or stud 9 secured in the undersurface of the member 1. Thegear'or segment 8 meshes with a rack bar 10, the ends of which areformed of cylindrical shape and guided in brackets 11 secured adjacenteach side of the table. the brackets the bar 10 is provided withcylindrical buttons or handles 12, the outer surface of which may beknurled or ornamented as desired. The lever 7 extends be- "7. The lever7 has secured thereto a muti Outside of yond the pivot of ,one' of thelinks 6 and a screw or pin 13 is secured in the under-' side of thetable with which the said lever contacts when thelegs are moved tooperative position in a plane substantially normal to the surface ofmember 1 A pin or other guiding member 14 is also secured between thesides of the table with which ,the outer side of the rack bar 10contacts and by which it is held in meshing relation with the gear 8When it is desired to extend the members 2 and supporting legs tooperative position,

one of the buttons 12 is pressed upon andv sition, as shown, the endof'the lever contacts with the member 13. The links are also insubstantial alinement with the lever 7 so that these members are in sortof a dead center position or slightly past dead center and form, ineffect, a straightened toggle. The members snap into this position andthe lever '5' cannot be rotated by end pressure of the links or by anypressure on the leg members 2 acting to collapse the same. When it isdesired to collapse the leg members to fold the same practically againstthe underside of member 1, the handle or disk 12 on the other side ofthe table is pressed upon. The rack member 10 is then moved in thereverse direction and the toggle formed by the parts 6 and 7 is broken,the lever 7 is oscillated and links 6 pull the members Qinto folded orcollapsed position, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In this position it willbe seen from Fig. 4 the pivot points of links 6 and lever 7 also liesubstantially in a straight line and thus come to a dead center orslightly past dead center position. The said lever and links snap intothis position and cannot be moved therefrom by any end pressure on thelinks. The said links, it will be noted, are slightly bent at theirinner ends to provide clearance of the parts. Movement of the rack bar10 easily moves the links 6 and lever 7 when it is desired to extend thelegs.

From the above description it is seen that applicant has provided anextremely simple and eflicient mechanism formoving the foldable legs ofthe supporting device into operative and inoperative osition. The devicehas been particularly esigned as a stand to hold a bassinet or body of ababy crriage, but, as previously stated, the same is equally applicableto any supporting member, such as a tableor chair. If desired, the rod10 may be of shorter length and the manipulating members 12 arranged tobe disposed beneath the supporting members 1. The parts of thedevice'are few, simple and when once assembled have no tendency tobecome disarranged. The device can be quickly and inexpensively made andhas been found very eflicient for the purposes had in View.

It will, ofcourse, be understood that various changes may be made in theform, details and arrangement of the parts without departing from thescope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists in thematter shown and described. and set forth in the appended claims. I

Vhat is claimed is: I

1. A supporting device having incombination, afiat top member, fiat endsupporting members pivoted adjacent each end of the undersurface of saidmember having central apertures therethrough, pivot rods extendingacross said apertures, a lever bar pivoted to said undersurfacesubstantially centrally thereof, links pivotally connected to said barat each side of its pivot and connected at their other ends to saidpivot rods, a gear segment rigidly secured to said lever to rotate aboutthe fulcrum thereof, a rack bar mounted in bearings adjacent each sideof said top member for moving transversely thereof and meshing with saidgear segment, and means at each side of the table secured to said barfor moving the same to swing said lever and simultaneously move the legsto operative or inoperative position.

2. A supporting device comprising a substantially flat top member,members pivoted at each end of said top member at the underside thereofand constructed and arranged to constitute supporting legs therefor,links connected to said legs and extending toward the center of said topmember, a swinging bar mounted] substantially centrally on the undersideof said top member to the respective ends of which said links arepivotally connected, a gear secured to said bar, a rack bar extendingtransversely of said top member engaging said gear and having ahandleequipped portion extended v beyond said top member, said swingingbar being adapted to be swung with said links slightly past dead centerwhen the legs are in extended position and a stop means on said topmember engaged by said bar whereby a locking means is formed for saidlegs.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHARLES o. ROBINSON.

